


The Folly of the Student

by lamentingpat



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Achilles is Disabled, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Teacher-Student Relationship, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28998009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamentingpat/pseuds/lamentingpat
Summary: When Achilles first accepted the job, he hadn't expected it to lead to this.After joining the faculty of the prestigious Daedalus Academy run by Nyx Adyton, Achilles soon finds himself one of the popular teachers despite his own issues and an honorary father figure for more than one student. One student in particular turns the world on its head as he attempts to repeatedly run away, pulling everyone around him into the fray.
Relationships: Achilles & Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Achilles/Patroclus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	The Folly of the Student

**Author's Note:**

> I am so glad to finally be done with this first chapter! I don't have a beta, so all mistakes are my own. I'm pretty active on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/lamentingpat)

Years ago when he was much younger, Achilles could have never imagined standing (or more accurately, leaning against his desk) in a prestigious high school classroom, yet here he was. The room was pretty spartan, but he didn’t really expect it to look like anything else. It had been stripped the previous year after the last history teacher had been sacked, so Achilles would have to get together his own materials. Would he have to run them by the principal? Yes, but he would have Pat help him pick out something tasteful. He was always better at that stuff than he was, which is probably why he was the art curator at the high-end museum in town. He was sure Pat would have something to say about how the school itself was painted, as it was unlike anything Achilles had seen before. A crimson linoleum floor gave way to dark purple walls that seemed to stretch higher than they should, attached to an off-white ceiling that seemed to make the room even taller. It was honestly a little disorienting at first, but he was sure that the choice had been made by the benefactor of the school, Chaos, well known for their bizarre choices.

They hadn’t been living in the decent-sized town for long, they had only moved there a few months ago when Pat had been offered the job at the art gallery, and it paid extremely well. They weren’t in need of money per se, but with a lot more life ahead of them, they thought it would have been a wise choice, especially since they had talked about possibly having kids in the future. Achilles could have even stayed home, Patroclus’ salary was more than enough to support them, but he had never been the type to sit idle for long. His accident had already done that years prior, and it wasn’t something he was eager to repeat.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the open door and he was greeted with the sight of the principal herself, Nyx. Her black hair framed her pale face well, not even a hair looking out of place. Even just standing there she commanded respect, yet had a motherly presence to her, and honestly, Achilles didn’t know how she did it. He was grateful that she knocked to announce her presence, he still tended to startle a bit easy. “Ms. Adyton, I have to thank you again for the opportunity to teach here. I know that you have a high standard here and I hope to live up to them,” He spoke as respectfully as he could, he was talking to his boss after all.

She waved a hand dismissively, a friendly yet serene smile on her face. “I know you will, Mr. Pelides. You are exactly the type of teacher we hope to have on our campus,” It was high praise that Achilles didn’t quite feel fit. He didn’t have many years of teaching under his belt, and this was the nicest school in town… Years ago he would have taken the compliment in stride, but not anymore. “I was hoping to catch you before you left, and it does seem that I’ve come at the right time. As you may know, Hermes is our athletic director here, and he has a little one at home now. He wants to spend more time at home, and you are one of the few qualified enough to take on our boy’s track team.” Achilles knew Hermes, well, knew of him at least. He was an accomplished Olympic athlete who had decided to retire early due to undisclosed reasons, and Achilles wouldn’t deny he had been a fan. He may have given up track a while ago but that didn’t mean he lost any love for it.

Achilles was taken aback for a moment. “Are you sure you want me to? It’s been a while since I’ve done anything of that kind,” He couldn’t help but glance down at his leg, one that kept him in near-constant pain. In his high school and college days he had been a track star, but he had let fade into his past long ago, his injury had sidelined him for so long he had just decided to move on.

“Mr. Pelides, I wouldn’t ask anyone else. It is ultimately up to you, but you don’t have to make a decision yet. When you make one you can contact me, you have up until the school year begins,” Which was well over a month away from starting, so that was a relief. Achilles would definitely have to talk to Pat about it. He wanted to say yes but he questioned his ability to coach. The closest he had gotten to that was his service when he had to lead his peers. “That was all I needed to discuss with you, but feel free to also contact me if you have any further inquiries. Have a nice rest of your day,”

And before Achilles could say a farewell back, she was gone, likely to another part of the school to check up on things. He let out a sigh and pretty much deflated, his decent posture disappearing once Nyx did. After a final survey of the empty classroom, Achilles stood up properly, grabbing his cane before he left the room. One thing that he wasn’t super excited about concerning the school was the long hallways. He was lucky enough to be able to park somewhat close to his classroom, but he dreaded visiting the main office on the other side of the school. As he walked he felt a dull ache begin in his leg, but he tried to brush it off for now until he could sit down and properly deal with it in his car.

When he did make it to his car, the dull ache had blossomed into pins and needles. Achilles searched in his console before finding his medication, taking it later than he should have. He must have lost track of time in the classroom… He would just have to make sure he kept up the schedule when he spent even more time there. Something about the walls seemed to warp time when you were in there, and if it weren’t for the windows, Achilles was sure that he wouldn’t have been able to tell if it was night or day.

  
  


Thank god for first-floor apartments. Although Achilles hated dealing with upstairs neighbors, it was better than him having to scale the stairs every time he went out. He decided to crash on their worn couch instead of going all the way to the bedroom. It was still early enough that Pat wouldn’t be home for a couple more hours, and he was just tired, so it wouldn’t hurt too bad just to take a nap here. Sure, his back may be upset with him later, but he would just deal with it later. He felt a sudden weight on his chest as their cat Pyrrhus found a comfortable bed on him, seems that Achilles wasn’t the only one who thought a nap was in order.

“I assume you had a good day,” He scratched the top of the golden cat’s head, feeling the purrs against his chest. “Dad’ll be home in a while, so it’s just me and you,” Achilles used his other hand to pull his long hair free from the ponytail it was in, leaving the hair tie on his wrist so he could put it back up later. If he didn’t he was sure that Pyrrhus would steal it and Achilles would never see it again. His thoughts drifted again back to the offer Nyx had extended to him. He wanted to take it, he really did, but he didn’t feel deserving of it. Clearly a school of their caliber could find someone for the position who was better suited. Someone who wasn’t him. He had to decide at some point… But now was the time to rest, and he closed his eyes, unconsciously syncing his breathing with the cat on his chest, drifting to sleep.

Achilles rarely woke up in peaceful ways, but it seems that he had been spared that today. He was roused by the sound of Pat entering the apartment and Pyrrhus getting up to greet him. He had always favored Pat more, but it wasn’t really a surprise given that he had been the one who found him as a kitten. Achilles held in a groan as he slowly sat up, a slight twinge in his back that he had been expecting.

Patroclus was speaking softly to Pyrrhus who chirped back, but he spoke too softly for Achilles to catch what he was saying. Moments like these always reminded him how much he loved his husband. As gruff as Pat could sometimes be, he had a soft spot that he was lucky enough to be privy to. He watched for a moment longer before Pat finally looked up from the cat and to his husband. “You know the couch will kill your back one day.”

All Achilles could do was let out a chuckle, finally summoning the strength to stand up, using his cane as he did so. “I blame Pyrrhus, it’s hard not to fall asleep when he’s on your chest,” He made his way over to Pat, kissing him on the cheek. He could feel his husband’s beard against his face, and it reminded him that he needed to shave soon. Beards looked better on Pat, not so much him.

His husband rolled his eyes at Achilles, shaking his head slightly. “Enough excuses, how was the campus? I’ve heard it has some weird architectural choices but their programs are amazing, especially their sports teams,” Both started to move towards their small table, knowing that it would be better to discuss while seated. Pat spent most of his day on his feet, and Achilles really couldn’t stand for extended times, so it was the most common option they took when they spoke about their days before preparing dinner or sometimes ordering out.

Before sitting Pat prepared a cup of tea for himself, while Achilles took the time to look on his phone for possible materials to put on his walls. He wanted to think about that currently rather than the offer he had been given that still ate away at him. He knew that Pat would probably say that he should take it, but was it really that good of an idea? What if he-

“Achilles, I can practically hear how hard you’re thinking right now. What’s wrong?” Shit. He had never been great at hiding his emotions, but Pat could always read him like an open book. They had been together for so long it was pretty inevitable that he would be able to, even if Achilles sometimes wished he couldn’t. He set down his phone with a sigh, running a hand through his hair, careful not to snag his fingers on any knots.

“When I was there Nyx asked if I would be willing to become the coach for the boy’s track team. I… told her I needed some time to consider,” Pat set his mug on the table, placing a hand over Achilles’ that rested on the table. He didn’t want to meet Pat’s eyes, Achilles could already tell what expression he had on. His husband was way too nice to him. It only took him a few seconds until he caved, Achilles finally looking at Pat, seeing that kind and understanding gaze.

“I think you should take it. Half of our DVR is full of races you’ve recorded, you keep old clippings from events… You may not be able to physically do all that you used to when you still competed, but I know you can teach them new things regardless. You’ve always had a way with words when it comes to talking to groups,” Pat gave a gentle squeeze to his hand in reassurance. Any argument Achilles tried to think left his mind, how mouth feeling dry as if it had been stuffed full of cotton. He could still feel the inadequacy surround him, but Pat never lied to him. It wasn’t in his nature really, which sometimes got him into deep shit because he was too honest.

“I’ll... send an email tomorrow,” Achilles finally relents, making peace with the fact that he was now going to be a coach. Maybe he could finally ask Hermes for an autograph? Ok, maybe not, that would be kinda weird to ask your coworker for. “Can you help me pick out some stuff for my classroom? I… don’t really know what would go with the room’s design.”

“Of course. Tell me what I have to work with.”

  
  


The first day of the school year snuck up on Achilles faster than he had expected, but he was somewhat confident in his preparedness. His classroom was suitably decorated, which was all due to Pat’s effort to find the right things that fit. They had been able to put up a surprising amount, Nyx was looser with guidelines than he had originally thought, and it was quite the array. He was proud of what they had compiled and Pat had been gracious enough to help him put them up earlier that week.

It was still painfully early, but it was nothing he wasn’t used to. Achilles glanced at his watch and he guessed that Pat was finally waking up for his own job, probably almost drowning himself in coffee. He took a sip of his own from the travel mug he had brought, which was a plain white but had a blurry photo of Pyrrhus attacking him. It had been a joke gift from Pat one Christmas and he still treasured it, even though it looked as if his cat was trying to kill him in cold blood. Hopefully, it could spark some type of interesting conversation with his first period students even if they were still half asleep.

The first class of the day would be government, all seniors thankfully, but it did make him worry if some of them would show up. At the very least Hermes had been kind enough to give him a quick rundown on most of his students, but he was sure that he had missed half the information that had been thrown at him. Achilles always learned better from experience anyway.

His attention was drawn to the door of his classroom by the squeak of sneakers against the linoleum floor. “Welcome in,” He greeted, meeting eyes with the teen. He was sure that it was Zagreus, who Hermes had especially focused on. Zagreus was on the younger side of his grade, having skipped a grade in middle school, and had attempted to run away over the summer. His father was a huge benefactor of the school and plenty of other adventures in town, including the art museum Pat worked at. The teen looked oddly high energy for this early in the day but he might have just been a morning person. Or it was because of the giant Redbull in his hands, either way, he seemed pretty upbeat, although it didn’t quite make it to his mismatched eyes.

“Thank you, sir!” He smiled at Achilles, choosing a seat at the front. Soon enough the rest of the class filtered in, chatting amongst themselves and looking at Achilles occasionally as they waited for the bell to ring. He didn’t want to start early, the kids needed time to talk about their summer, and the last thing he needed was to repeat himself more than was required. His travel mug seemed to be getting some attention though, as well as his posters, it’s hard not to notice when your students point directly at it when they’re talking.

The bell chimes just on time but the class is still chatty, again, Achilles expected that. He cleared his throat before talking. “Welcome in, class! My name is Mr. Pelides and this is a senior government class. If that doesn’t sound like the class you’re supposed to be in, please come to the front and I can help direct you to the right class,” No one stood up, but he waited a little longer before finally getting up, cane in hand.

“Alright, now that everyone is sure this is the right class, it’s time we get started,” He walked over to the stool he had set up in front of the class, taking a seat so that he was slightly higher than eye level with his students. “As you can see, I use a cane,” Achilles used it to tap the legs of the stool to emphasize. “I don’t get around as well as I used to, so if I ever have papers to hand out, I’ll ask one of you to help.”

“And before anyone asks, I was injured while serving overseas. A bullet struck me in my tendon and exited through my tibial nerve,” He gestured to his injured leg as he explained, glancing up at the class. He saw expressions of pity on some of his students’ faces, and he tried his best to brush it off. One thing he always struggled with was how people reacted to his injury, but the teens didn’t know any better, he just hoped that their parents might. “However, I will be taking over the boy’s track team for Mr. Dolios, as you may know, he recently had a child. I might not look it, but I used to be decent at track when I was younger, and I look forward to hopefully seeing some of you on the team,” He looked at Zagreus as he said that, as the boy’s athletic reputation preceded him. He was involved in pretty much all of the sports run by the school, but he had a reputation as the fastest kid in school and the best fencer.

“Since introductions are done, I’m going to go through role. If you have a nickname or if I pronounce it wrong, please tell me. We’re stuck with each other all year, so I would ideally like to get your name right. When I call your name please raise your hand,” Achilles leaned and grabbed his clipboard from his desk before running through the names, marking down the list with different notes. Most of the students didn’t go by any nicknames, save for a small girl named Dusa, who seemed especially nervous but sweet. It didn’t take long for him to reach the end of the list.

“Zagreus Cthonia?” The whole class stared at him as he raised his hand, and Achilles could see him visibly shrink under their stares. It seems that Hermes wasn’t the only one who had heard about Zagreus’ escape attempt. He waited a moment for the teen to say anything about a nickname, and when he didn’t, he moved on and started to go over the syllabus. Internally he decided that he would ask Zagreus to stay after class, just to check in on him. Something just seemed off about him, even though he seemed to be trying to present himself as friendly and high energy. Achilles knew what someone who was struggling looked like.

Class flies by from then on, Achilles was able to dismiss his class early. Zagreus was the first up, but he spoke before the boy could flee. “Zagreus, can you stay back a moment? I want to go over your track accomplishments that Mr. Dolios told me about,” It sounded harmless enough, not only that but a justifiable reason to ask him to stay a bit later than everyone else. He knew well that teenagers liked to gossip over the smallest things, he had been a teenager once too.

“Oh, uh, of course, sir.”

**Author's Note:**

> Quick notes about last names! Nyx's is a reference to how in some myths she lives in a cave (Adyton), Hermes is an Epithet that means essentially 'tricky', and Zag's is just a version of Chthonic. I'm not quite sure when the next chapter will be up (I'm a student and currently slogging through assignments) but I'm aiming for within the next two weeks.


End file.
